How New Science Fiction Could Help Us Improve AI - Scientific American
Fascinating article about organizations trying foster positive sci-fi stories about AI. Good reason why AI sci-fi is mainly negative—more plausible given humankind’s record AND more interesting. My upcoming book The HONOR System is case in point.
@jason_w_karpf@bookstodon@religion Huh, well it'll be interesting to see what additional research happens along these lines. It sounds interesting but the press release sounds very promotional, so I'm reserving judgment.
(I wonder what the religion group's interest in this is? 🤷)
God’s Ghostwriters by Candida Moss review – did enslaved scribes write the New Testament?
“And if the Roman family that purchased them as a scribe had subsequently converted to Christianity, either openly or secretly as many did in the first and second centuries CE, they may well then have been drafted in to write down the words of the great Christian missionary preachers who criss-crossed the empire and came to its capital, including of course Paul.”
Revealed: how Church of England’s ties to chattel slavery went to top of hierarchy
“_An archbishop of Canterbury in the 18th century approved payments for the purchase of enslaved people for two sugar plantations in Barbados, documents seen by the Observer have revealed.
Thomas Secker agreed to reimburse a payment for £1,093 for the purchase of enslaved people on the Codrington Plantations, as well as hiring enslaved people from a third party._”
Scientists Identify Seven Star Systems That May Be Hosting Alien Megastructures - Futurism
Excess of infrared from these seven stars COULD be evidence of energy-capturing Dyson spheres surrounding them—the ultimate technosignature. Still yet to find evidence of a single microbe beyond Earth. Per The Thing: “Watch the skies…”
For hours I hiked around Kurodani (黒谷) in Kyōto, literally "Black Valley," which is actually a large hill. From Japanese sources I found that the Pure Land (浄土宗) Buddhist saint Hōnen (法然上人) came down from Kurodani on Mt. Hiei in 1175 to build a hut on the hill, which became the major temple Konkaikōmyōji (金戒光明寺). The other temple I visited was Shinshōgokuraku-ji (真正極楽寺) or Shinnyo-dō (真如堂) nearby. Both worship Amitābha (阿弥陀} Buddha, although Shinnyo-dō belongs to the Tendai sect and was founded in 984 during the Heian Period. After the recent rain there was bright green early spring foliage and various flowers to enjoy along with interesting Buddhist statues and architecture.
Frankenstein Reflects the Hopes and Fears of Every Scientific Era—The Atlantic
Looking forward to MIT Press’ anotated edition. Theme of my study series Christian Sci-Fi Night with Professor K is “Playing God leads to trouble.” Note article’s point that Victor Frankenstein’s crime was hating and abandoning his creation, antithetical to God.